Woodscrews for Making Beekeeping Kit

There are various types of wood screw that are becoming
more popular in the assembly of hives and even frames.

The use of power driven screwdrivers and electric drills
for pilot, clearance and countersinking have brought the time factor
in their use to a level little more than the use of nails. The
consequent increase in durability of the assembled kit more than
offsets the increased assembly time and reduces future maintenance.

Twinthread Screws

These are mass produced by fully automatic machinery. They are
consistent in quality and inexpensive. The double helix only requires
half the number of turns to insert, compared to single start threaded
types.

Stainless Steel ScrewsLess likely to corrode and harder than conventional types. Their
usefulness is offset by a considerably higher price.

Chipboard screws
These are characterised by the small core diameter and sharp lands.
They are good for beekeeping kit as they only require a small
clearance hole which the sharp thread pulls itself through. They are
often made of harder grades of steel than conventional wood screws.
They are often finished black or grey.

Dry Lining Screws
These have a thin shank and a self cutting point that enables them to
be used without a pilot hole or a very small diameter one. They are
often bugle headed and thus do not require countersinking.

Screw head Shape
There are a multitude of types of head... Countersunk (1),
Round Head (2), Cheese Head (3),
Pan Head (4), Bugle Head (5),
Dome Head (6), Instrument Head (7) and
System Zero Head.
(Of these, Cheese Head and Dome Head are rare in wood screws.)

Pilot Holes are essential in hardwoods and should be
equal to the mean core diameter. Insertion is made easier by the
application of Petroleum Jelly
to the threads.

Clearance Holes should be the same diameter as the screw
shank.

Clearance Holes and Pilot holes can be drilled at the same
time using a drill that is ground to a different diameter for a
portion of it's length. A depth stop collar with countersinking
cutter is also fitted so that repeat operations produce identical
borings in one pass.

Countersinking or counterboring should be employed
wherever the head shape dictates the need.